This report discusses 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, including the requirements necessary to maintain 501(c)(4) status and the requirements for annual reporting to the Internal Revenue Service and Federal Election Commission.

This report discusses the current political state of Afghanistan, as well as the Afghan government. This report also discusses Afghanistan's relationship with the United States, particularly U.S. efforts to urge President Hamid Karzai to address corruption within the Afghan government.

This report discusses the current political state of Afghanistan, focusing particularly on the influence of the Taliban and other militant groups and on the leadership of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. This report also discusses the U.S.-Afghanistan relationship, in both the short and long term, and U.S. efforts under the Obama Administration to provide military, reconstructive, and stabilization aid.

This report considers the reduced amount of foreign aid to Afghanistan from the U.S. and its allies. The report identifies points at which the Afghan government is weak, such as corruption in politics. Moreover, the report discusses counter measures to insure that Afghanistan does not end up in an economic downturn.

This report reviews the evolution of the U.S. biofuels sector and the role that federal policy has played in shaping its development. In addition, it highlights emerging issues that are critical to the biofuels sector and of relevance to Congress.

This report considers the acquisition of new planes for the Air Force. Specifically, the report considers budgetary issues.

This report examines aviation consumer protections following the 1978 elimination of most governmental control regarding airline business practices. It explains the roles of Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in protecting airline consumers, and discusses some major passenger rights issues and related laws and regulations.

This report provides information about the mandatory appropriations and fund transfers in patient protection and ACA.

This report summarizes congressional authorization and appropriations processes for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It also discusses agency activities under general authorities.

This report discusses the firefighting activities that are traditionally the responsibility of states and local communities. The report also talks about the funding for firefighters, which is provided mostly by state and local governments. However, during the 106th Congress, many in the fire community asserted that local fire departments require and deserve greater support from the federal government.

This report discusses the background and issues for congressional oversight of ARRA Broadband Awards

This report provides an overview of the recent tragedy in Bangladesh and the Bangladesh economic environment and culture. It also notes the responses to the tragedy, to date, from Congress, the Administration, the ILO, the Bangladesh government, and the private sector. Finally, it raises some possible issues for Congress.

This report reviews efforts to combat unauthorized migration across the Southwest border in the nearly three decades since the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) initiated the modern era in migration control, takes stock of the current state of border security, and considers lessons that may be learned about enhanced enforcement at U.S. borders. The report begins by reviewing the history of border control and the development of a national border control strategy beginning in the 1990s. The following sections summarize appropriations and resources dedicated to border enforcement, indicators of enforcement outcomes, metrics for estimating unauthorized migration flows, and possible secondary and unintended consequences of border enforcement. The report concludes by reviewing the overall costs and benefits of the current approach to migration control and raising additional questions that may help guide the discussion of these issues in the future.,5/

This report discusses the broadband loan and grant programs at Rural Utilities Service (RUS) that is intended to accelerate the deployment of broadband services in rural America. “Broadband” refers to high-speed Internet access and advanced telecommunications services for private homes, commercial establishments, schools, and public institutions.

This report examines how automatic spending reductions triggered by the Budget Control Act (BCA) might affect health reform appropriations acts.

This report examines how automatic spending reductions triggered by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA) might affect health reform implementation under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). It is divided into three sections. The first section provides an overview of ACA's health insurance reforms and some analysis of the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO's) estimates of the impact of the law's implementation on federal direct spending and revenues. The second section examines the automatic spending reductions under the BCA. The final section discusses which types of health reform spending are likely subject to, or exempt from, those reductions.

This report discusses the current issues in Burma (Myanmar) in regards to political prisoners and the resulting U.S. sanctions against the nation. It includes an introduction and definitions; information about current estimates of prisoners and prisoner releases; the relation of political prisoners, parliamentary elections and national reconciliation; and U.S. sanctions and U.S. efforts regarding political prisoners, as well as relevant issues for Congress to consider.

This report summarizes the President's budget estimates for each section of the CMS budget. Then, for each legislative proposal included in the president's budget, this report provides a description of current law and the President's proposal.

This report examines the extent of the security problems in Central America, the current efforts being undertaken by Central American governments to address them, and U.S. support for Central American efforts through the Central America Regional Security Initiative. It also raises potential policy issues for congressional consideration such as funding levels, human rights concerns, and how CARSI relates to other U.S. government policies.

Report that discusses the current status of Central Asian states and U.S. policy, which has been aimed at facilitating their cooperation with U.S. and NATO stabilization efforts in Afghanistan and their efforts to combat terrorism, proliferation, and trafficking in arms, drugs, and persons.

This report provides technical and logistical information on how the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) is constructed and reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

This report provides an overview of Arctic-related issues for Congress, and refers readers to more in-depth CRS reports on specific Arctic-related issues.

This report describes the current CSE incentive payment system, provides information on financial penalties imposed on states if incentive payment data are unreliable or if performance standards are not met, explains how state incentive payments are derived, discusses some state trends and presents some policy issues concerning incentive payments.

At the beginning of 2013, Congress enacted the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which made certain modifications to the child tax credit enacted in 2001 and 2003 permanent, while extending other modifications made in 2009 temporary for five years. This report contains information on current law, who is eligible to claim the child tax credit, economic analysis, policy proposals and options, and figures related to the child tax credit.